Paul Johnson on an ACC title: ‘It would be the ultimate finish’
You can say he's made a difference. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Tampa — It was three years ago that another coach brought Georgia Tech to a rainy Florida city, three years ago that the Jackets played for an ACC title one week after losing to Georgia. And it was three years ago Tech contrived to lose the worst football game ever played. (Wake Forest won 9-6, in case you’d forgotten. If you had, you’re lucky.)
The coach then was Chan Gailey, and that’s your difference right there. Gailey was the coach who came equipped with his own ceiling. Paul Johnson coaches Tech now, and that’s an upgrade on the order of Mark Richt over Jim Donnan — a good coach giving way to an excellent one.
There’s no guarantee the Jackets will beat Clemson on Saturday — I believe they will, by the score of 31-27 — but there seems no chance this Tech team will lay the plus-sized egg the 2006 Jackets did in Jacksonville. “It could be 9-6 tomorrow night,” said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, invoking that accursed score on the nose. “But I doubt it.”
And here we need pause to reflect on the two seasons post-Gailey: In Year 1 Tech went 9-4 and beat Georgia; in Year 2 it is 10-2 and is playing for a berth in a BCS game. It must be noted that Johnson’s track has followed the early path of the man to whom he lost last weekend, and it must also be noted than PJ’s first two seasons have been no less transformative for Tech than Richt’s were for Georgia.
Two years ago we wondered if Tech would ever again beat Georgia. Now it’s Georgia that’s treating a victory over Tech as a season-saver. Think about that. Think about a coach with a high school offense (so-called) who stands one game from a conference title after 23 months on the job.
“It would be the ultimate finish for what has been a really good year,” Johnson said Friday. “Any time you can be in your conference championship game and have a chance to play in a BCS bowl, that’s good for your program. [Winning on Saturday] would be big.”
If nothing else, leaving Atlanta should have a salving effect on the Jackets. They won’t have to hear about the Georgia game down here. (At least not much.) Johnson, as we know, has already heard too much.
“[Losing to the Bulldogs] didn’t dampen our enthusiasm,” he said. “Our goal is to win the ACC championship. We know it’s a big game for our players and a big game for our fans, but beating Georgia and winning a conference title are two different things. And they are not mutually inclusive.”
Twenty-three months ago we asked if Paul Johnson’s stylized offense was outdated. At his media briefing here, the same Paul Johnson was asked if he felt his success in a BCS league would augur a return to option football. “I don’t know,” said Johnson, but clearly he enjoyed that question more than, say, the ones that would begin: “People say your offense won’t work in a BCS league …
He even made a little joke. Asked about the possibility of a sloppy track at Raymond James Stadium, Johnson said: “We might not throw it 30 times if it rains.”
Many among us have had a bit of fun at Johnson’s expense this week — Georgia fans because he lost to the 6-5 Bulldogs, us neutrals because of his “punch-him-in-the-face” line. But let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture: The man is 19-6 over two seasons at place where the previous athletics director said the football team could not expect to win big as a matter of course. And now the Jackets need one game more to get where no Tech team has ever been — a fully accredited BCS game.
“We can control our destiny,” Johnson said. “We’ve just got to get it done. We’re putting everything we’ve got into going to Miami.”
Georgia fans can giggle all they want, but this coach and this program are, as Johnson keeps saying, not going away anytime soon. The only place Tech is going is to the Orange Bowl when it beats Clemson.
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555 comments Add your comment
bb
December 4th, 2009
3:54 pm
first
gymjacket
December 4th, 2009
3:55 pm
first
jsmuga
December 4th, 2009
3:55 pm
Clemson 31 GT 28
jsmuga
December 4th, 2009
4:00 pm
Mike and Mike’s national radio show this morning did not even mention this game when discussing the huge games this weekend. This game has no buzz at all.
GT FAN PA
December 4th, 2009
4:00 pm
I think the Jackets rebound and show up for a big time win- I know the dog nation is going to start all over this blog- but Tech does have the control in it’s hands- Go Jackets…Beat Clemson.
GT FAN PA
December 4th, 2009
4:01 pm
MB- Any injury reports or updates
techatl
December 4th, 2009
4:02 pm
Paul is an excellent coach. Let’s hope the loss to Georgia was an anomely(sp?). Beating Clemson will be the perfect morning after pill after losing to Georgia.
GT will have its hands full in the BCS against anybody but Cinncy, the Ohio St University.
Mikejacket
December 4th, 2009
4:02 pm
Go Jackets! Let’s rebound and capture our season’s #1 goal – ACC Champions! This should be a really good game with a lot of turning points and plenty of offense. Here’s hoping we can stop them one more time than they can us.
DawgNDallas
December 4th, 2009
4:04 pm
I don’t think Georgia fans saw the Tech game as a season saver. It was more of a consolation prize.
Halsey
December 4th, 2009
4:04 pm
Enjoy the Papa John’s Bowl, jsmuga.
Out of Town
December 4th, 2009
4:06 pm
I hope they win…and put the UGA score on their rings.
Buckhead Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:06 pm
Giggle, Giggle, Giggle
Hand out secret ballots and I bet you’d get a different answer on which game the nerds would rather win. And I promise you more people watched the UGA-Tech game than will be watching the ACC chumpionship game.
Just got punched in the face by a Tech fan…I think, no wait just a raindrop.
dogcrap
December 4th, 2009
4:09 pm
I hear Shreveport is really nice this time of year! LOL!!~
b.davis
December 4th, 2009
4:09 pm
Give Paul Johnson a few more years and watch out.
The soap opera in Athens will continue unabated.
Richt is more concerned about his hairdresser, keeping his players out of jail and proclaiming his desire to get back to where they should be.
If he was more concerned with kicking ass and taking names instead of his tan things might be different.
The truth is they have many daddies and added Kentucky to the fold this year.
Bremen Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:11 pm
Two average SEC teams playing for the ACC championship. What a joke, I wonder if GT defensive line will get pancaked again. Spiller runs for 339 yards, defensive backs will need some syrup to go with those pancakes. GT loses and then get beat again in the bowl game. You will see better line play tonight in HS games than you will in this game.
Dirty Dog
December 4th, 2009
4:11 pm
Mike and Mike….can you say unemployed.
dogcrap
December 4th, 2009
4:12 pm
Hey buckmutt, I bet you can tell the difference between my punch in the face and a raindrop. After you wake up. typical mutt fan: Inbred redneck trailer park crusin idiot.
The Other St. Simons
December 4th, 2009
4:12 pm
“It would be an ultimate finish….afer we got our stingers handed to us by a mediocre in state rival.”
((((((((((30-24)))))))))))) All year long.
Dirty Dog
December 4th, 2009
4:14 pm
why do all lawncare workers own UGA gear. Thank Kroger and CVS.
bo
December 4th, 2009
4:15 pm
How come there is still so much talk in the media about the UGA game (even if it is about why the loss doesn’t matter) as GT prepares for the ACC Championship?
Does the body good
December 4th, 2009
4:18 pm
SOUNDS LIKE PAUL JOHNSON IS ALREADY FINISHED! AFTER HIS NICE, HOT BOWL OF…
30-24!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Let's Talk About UGA!
December 4th, 2009
4:18 pm
Go Dawgs!
I’m sick of hearing about all of this Ga Tech crap!
I’m sick of hearing about Bama and Florida.
My DAWGS are #1. They have 1,980 National Championships!
Go Dawgs!
We’re #1 EVERY year.
Go Dawgs!
7-5 in that tough SEC rocks!
I can’t wait to find out which BCS Bowl we’ll be selected for this year — to play for the 1,981 NC!
Go Dawgs!
Bremen Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:18 pm
Can we move the GT football section to the HS football section? Triple option high school crap. Hey, you will see better defensive playing tonight than you will tomorrow. Look, Spiller just ran for 339 yards. The linebackers will need syrup to go with that pancaked defensive front. Watch a high school game tonight to get you perpare for GT Clemson. The film might help.
News flash, Clemson used a high school team to prep for GT this week.
Chad St.
December 4th, 2009
4:19 pm
I dont want the jackets to come in to hyper and jacked up or to down, they need to go into Tampa focused on what we (jacket nation) have been expecting and wanting all year, an ACC title, lets go Jackets!!!! Piss on the dawgs!!! 35-24 GT
The Other St. Simons
December 4th, 2009
4:19 pm
I think an ultimate finish for Johnson would be spooning with his players at the bottom of a big ‘ol yeller tickle pile.
Bremen Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:20 pm
News Flash, High school team beat GT in practice this week.
Eat it Saint Simons
December 4th, 2009
4:20 pm
(((((30-24)))) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
A-She-She Blog
December 4th, 2009
4:20 pm
WHAT DO THE TWO BEST TEAMS IN THE ACC HAVE IN COMMON??
THEY BOTH GOT DE-PANTSED BY 6-5 SEC TEAMS!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHA
Bremen Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:21 pm
The defensive gets pancaked again, Spiller runs for 339 yards. GT recievers have butterfingers for snacks.
The Grinch
December 4th, 2009
4:21 pm
Chad St.
December 4th, 2009
4:19 pm
Right. And the tech fans need to be focused on those free cokes and hot dogs. Oops – they’re not part of the ticket price. Bummer. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
The Grinch
December 4th, 2009
4:22 pm
Bremen Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:21 pm
And CPJ will say the game was no big deal anyway. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Mikejacket
December 4th, 2009
4:22 pm
Really some interesting and intelligent posts on this site.
pilgrim
December 4th, 2009
4:22 pm
Us neutrals because of his “punch-him-in-the-face” line? You didn’t act so neutral last Saturday, Mark. But on the “punch” comment, I heard the 790 interview, and thought Johnson was already miffed about an earlier question, something along the lines of, “Were you surprised the Bulldogs came out running?” PJ knew perfectly well the potential effectiveness of Ealey and Co.
Saint Simons' Ghost
December 4th, 2009
4:23 pm
{{{{{{30-24}}}}}}
woof,woof,woof,woof,woof,woof!
Ted Striker
December 4th, 2009
4:23 pm
Tech is nobody to this UGA fan. And this link sums up why.
http://georgiasports.blogspot.com/2009/11/modest-proposal-for-damon-evans.html
Bremen Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:23 pm
I would think the engineers could make a robot dawg that PETA wants us to use. Can we get some help Nerds?
The Other St. Simons
December 4th, 2009
4:24 pm
For your sake Techies, I sure hope y’all win, or I might not be able to stand it.
STING those tigers
December 4th, 2009
4:25 pm
It would not be an ultimate finish to get the Shreveport Independence Bowl bid and conclude the season with a pitiful 7-6 record.
Old Gold
December 4th, 2009
4:26 pm
I just Caleb King bolt another 50 yards untouched for a touchdown
The Grinch
December 4th, 2009
4:27 pm
Bremen Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:21 pm
Bremen, huh? So would that make you a “blue devil” dawg?
Savannah Jacket
December 4th, 2009
4:28 pm
Who gives a shat about Mike and Mike. They are too busy having a love fest for Tebag and Cryer…. Hey maybe Mike and Mike will be doing a special at the Shreveport Toilet Bowl. Maybe that will make the Dead Dog Nation Happy.
Kinda funny that two years ago you said the governor’s cup ment nothing and now because of a 6 point win thanks to a dropped pass and a QB injury you think you won the superbowl.
You still suck and you dog is dead!!!!! And we are playing tomorrow!
The Grinch
December 4th, 2009
4:28 pm
Old Gold
December 4th, 2009
4:26 pm
Such a short run? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Georgia will allways dominate GT!!!
December 4th, 2009
4:29 pm
Still clinging to CPJ’s sack huh marky????
Like anyone really cares at this point Marky!!!
Jealous nerdy fools
(((((((((((((((30-24)))))))))))))))
Georgia will allways dominate GT!!!
The Grinch
December 4th, 2009
4:29 pm
Savannah Jacket
December 4th, 2009
4:28 pm
And tomorrow the UGA players are getting sized for the highly coveted commemorative “score” rings. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! 30-24….it will only hurt for 12 more months.
Does the body good
December 4th, 2009
4:30 pm
LOOKS LIKE DOGCRAP HAS A CASE OF THE SOUR GRAPES!! I HAVE JUST THE REMEDY! A NICE, HOT BOWL OF…
30-24!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Bremen Dawg
December 4th, 2009
4:30 pm
The Grinch
Yep a Bremen Blue Devil Dawg. Keeping it real.
JIMBOB
December 4th, 2009
4:31 pm
Enter your comments here
Augusta Jacket
December 4th, 2009
4:33 pm
I guess if we win pup dogs will be saying they are the ACC champions so does that mean if Nebraska beats Texas we can call ourselves Big 12 champs since Va Tech beat Neb and we beat Va tech…..
GT ACC Champs-to-be
December 4th, 2009
4:34 pm
To all you UGA fans…
At least we get to play this weekend.
Dabo had better rub that rock till it sparks if he hopes to have a chance against CPJ now that we’re rolling. Come on Burnett, shut em down one more time, and let’s go kick the crap outta TCU in the Orange Bowl!
GO JACKETS!!
The Grinch
December 4th, 2009
4:35 pm
Augusta Jacket
December 4th, 2009
4:33 pm
Nah. We don’t want to be A She She champs. Instead, tech is the 5th best team in the SEC East. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!